‘Monkey Business’ is a screwball comedy film released in 1952 that brought together some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Directed by Howard Hawks, the movie starred Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, and Marilyn Monroe. The story revolves around a research chemist’s accidental discovery of a formula that temporarily makes people revert to youthful, sometimes foolish, behavior.
The main plot follows Dr. Barnaby Fulton, played by Cary Grant. Dr. Fulton is seriously working in his lab to find an elixir of youth, a chemical mixture to reverse aging. His experiments aren’t going well until one of the lab’s chimpanzees gets loose, mixes various chemicals together haphazardly, and dumps the resulting concoction into the office water cooler.
Unaware of the water contamination, Dr. Fulton takes a drink. The effects are immediate and startling. The normally reserved and middle-aged chemist starts acting like an irresponsible teenager. This sudden transformation leads him to get a wild haircut, buy a flashy sports car, and go on a playful date with his boss’s young secretary, Lois Laurel.
Read more
The comedic chaos escalates when Barnaby’s sensible wife, Edwina, portrayed by Ginger Rogers, also drinks the formula-laced water. She too begins acting impulsively, revisiting feelings and actions from her younger days. With both husband and wife behaving like adolescents, their lives, marriage, and social interactions become hilariously complicated.
Adding to the fun are the supporting characters. Marilyn Monroe plays Lois Laurel, the secretary who seems charmed by Dr. Fulton’s sudden energy, even if she doesn’t understand its cause. Charles Coburn appears as Mr. Oxly, Barnaby’s perpetually exasperated boss who is bewildered by the strange happenings involving his top chemist.
The film showcases many elements typical of the screwball comedy genre. Viewers can expect fast-paced, witty dialogue, particularly in the exchanges between Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers. There is also a good amount of physical comedy and slapstick humor as the characters navigate their chemically-induced immaturity. The plot creates numerous absurd situations flowing from the central premise.
